596 MANUAL OP PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



The long-tailed shrikes collected in Sulu by Bourns and Worcester 

 and by Gnillemard were probably of this species. I have not seen a 

 specimen from Snlu. 



Genus OTOMELA Bonaparte, 1853. 



The Philippine species of Otomela may be recognized by the nearly 

 uniformly colored upper parts, narow, white or pale buff, superciliary 

 stripe, and short tail; wing and tail about equal in length.* 



Species. 



a\ Forehead pearl-gi-ay, shading gradually into earthy brown on the crown and 

 back ^ lucionensis (p. 597) 



a-. Forehead not gray, the upper parts reddish brown. 



6*. Upper parts duller brown cristata (p. 598) 



b-. Upper parts brighter, reddish or fox-brown superciliosa (p. 5!J8) 



* Philippine specimens of this genus have usually been referred to Lanius 

 (Otomela) lucionensis, but both 0. cristata and 0. superciliosa are credited to 

 the Philippines in Sharpe's Hand-List and for this reason they are included here. 

 Having no specimens of undoubted identity !• am unable to determine many of 

 the specimens of shrikes in the Bureau of Science collection. Of the last two 

 species mentioned I give the distribution and short descriptions on the authority 

 of Dresser. 



The following paragraphs may be of use in distinguishing the three species. 



"L. superciliosus Latham * * * has the entire upper surface very bright 

 uniform rufous, a very broad frontal band, a very broad superciliary stripe, and 

 the throat pure white; the inner webs of the basal parts of the primaries white 

 underneath, which shows through on the upper surface of the quills at their 

 insertion, almost forming a white, yet concealed alar bar; shoulder-edge and 

 under shoulder-coverts pure white. 



"L. cristatus Linnsjeus has the head, nape, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail 

 rufous, but less bright and browner than in L. superciliosus. The back is colored 

 with the same tint, but paler or less rufous. The chin and upper part of the throat 

 are white; but the tawny hue of the breast extends higher up than in either L. 

 superciliosus or in L. lucionensis ; and all the throat is usually washed with tawny. 



"The white frontal band is narrow and ill-defined; and the white supercilium is 

 much less prominent than in L. superciliosus. The quills at their insertions show 

 indications, although slight, of a rudimentary alar bar. The shoulder-edge and 

 under shoulder-coverts are tawny. The female is colored as the male, but has 

 the subocular stripe brown and not black and the sides of the breast and flanks 

 more or less striated and freckled with faint brown marks. 



"L. lucionensis Linnaeus has the forehead and crown delicate pale pearl-gray, 

 no pure white whatever on the forehead. A narrow white supercilium commences 

 above the eye, becoming somewhat broader behind, and shading ofT into the gray 

 of the head. The occiput, nape, and back are ashy liver-brown. The rump, upper 

 tail-coverts, and tail are washed with rufous, most marked on the upper tail- 

 coverts; the chin and throat pure white, as in L. superciliosus ; shoulder-edge and 

 under shoulder-coverts pure white; indications of a concealed wliite alar bar, as 

 in L. cristatus; and the female has the sexual distinguishing characters of that 

 species. The almost entire absence of rufous in the plumage of the adult Philip- 

 pine species suffices to distinguish it at a glance from L. cristatus and L. super- 

 ciliosus." Walden, Trans. Zool. 8oc. (1875), 9, 171,172. 



